Veterans WORLD issue 41 by Veterans UK

Veterans WORLD Issue 41

Are you Pension Ready?

© Crown copyright 2016 The contents of this product may be subject to Crown copyright. If you wish to reproduce any elements, either text or images, you must first contact DBS Design and Production Services to establish if reproduction is permissible and what terms of use may be available. Please note this may include the charging of fees.

Veterans WORLD Veterans World is distributed to those who work in an advisory role.

December 2016 Issue 41

The content of Veterans WORLD is provided to raise awareness of help, advice and support available to the veterans community.

CONTENTS

Publication of articles on services provided or developments affecting the veterans community does not mean that they are endorsed by Veterans WORLD or the Ministry of Defence.

At a Glance

Remembrance

Collocations providing ‘Pop-In’ support

Editors: Janine Burnett Karen Awere Natalie Wild Joanne Lowe Gav Fox Design/Layout: Kris Blacow for Design & Production Services

To contact the Editor: Email: Veterans-UK-VeteransWorld@mod.uk Want to make an editorial contribution? Contributions are most welcome. To raise awareness of an initiative, scheme or organisation that offers help, advice or support to veterans, contact the Editorial Team by email: Veterans-UK-VeteransWorld@mod.uk or by calling: 01253 332977. For distribution enquiries: Email: Veterans-UK-VeteransWorld@mod.uk or call: 01253 338811. For information relating to War Pension/AFCS claims please call the Veterans UK Helpline: 0808 1914 2 18. For advertising opportunities please Email: Veterans-UK-VeteransWorld@mod.uk. While the publishers have taken all reasonable care to ensure that all material is accurate at the time of going to press, they can accept no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is accepted for omission or failure from any cause. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Veterans World. Professional advice should be sought before making any commitment to business transactions detailed within Veterans World. All advertisements are accepted only on the grounds that they comply with the terms of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and all other relevant legislation. Inclusion of an advertisement cannot be construed as an endorsement of the advertiser or the product by the publishers, their employees or agents. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any transaction between readers and advertisers. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publishers.

Get on the road to being pension ready 8-9 Adjusting for the Future

Listening-Talking-Helping

Living and Working in North Wales

The aim of Veterans World is to provide up to date information on services, support and advice for the Veterans community, in particular those who act in an advisory role. We know, from engaging with our customers, charitable organisations and partners that the key issues for the Veterans community are:

Accommodation & Housing

Working in Partnership

Family Matters

Health & Wellbeing

Education/ Training/ Employment

Articles in this and future issues of Veterans World will be about a service, initiative or event that is focussed around one of these themes. The icon and colours at the top of each page will continue the theme so that you can see at a glance the topic of the article.

Contents

Issue 41

8-9

7 Do you have any news for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;At a Glanceâ&#x20AC;? Board? e-mail: veterans-ukveteransworld@mod.uk

10 3

At a Glance Support for the Armed Forces The Government has committed £102 million of banking fines over the next four years to support Armed Forces and Emergency Services charities and other related good causes. You can read the full list of projects funded by LIBOR on GOV.UK.

Covenant funding helps the Foreign & Commonwealth community The Army Families Federation has received a grant through the Covenant Grants Fund to provide much-needed practical support to Foreign & Commonwealth (F&C) Army families dealing with Domestic Abuse (DA). This new support will allow them to help spouses directly with their application form to remain in the UK during a very stressful time and is available to any F&C spouse of a serving person in any location in the UK or overseas. Families must be referred by a relevant welfare contact or organisation. For more information visit the AFF website.

Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) A £20 million boost to fundraising is being provided towards the construction of the defence element of the brand new Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) at Stanford Hall. The centre, a purpose-built, world-leading clinical rehabilitation site to oﬀer medical services for injured members of the Forces, is set to become operational in 2018. For more information visit the DNRC website.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) to lead help for veterans The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced that the Covenant Fund will work with Royal British Legion (RBL) and other charities to set up a one-stop service to better support the UK’s Armed Forces veterans community. The Veterans Gateway programme will help veterans find and access advice and support on a broad range of issues including housing, employability and health. The new service provides a 24/7 phone number, a dedicated website and a mobile app. The service will be formally launched in the first half of 2017. For more information visit: GOV.UK

Veterans UK leaflets now on GOV.UK A guide to VETER ANS

MINISTRY OF DEFENC

E MEDAL OFFICE

A guide to

SERVICES

Ag uid e to VE the WE TER AN LFA S RE SEsRUK is the Veteran VIC MOD’s dedicated veterans support organisation MOD’s dedicatedE thepersonn for service el, nveterans Veterans UK is for service

veterans D andEtheir families. personnel, the Y ANveterans TR ide toASUALT TE CEN A gu C NA support organisatio

. .

T JOIN PASSIO COM

and their families .

As part of the on-going Government commitment to saving tax-payers money Veterans UK is no longer providing printed copies of its leaflets, these informative and helpful leaflets are now hosted on the Veterans UK pages of GOV.UK.

Veterans Today Blog As part of the Ministry of Defence, Veterans UK provides key services to Serving Personnel, veterans and their families, including: •

• •

Compensation for injury or illness caused by service in HM Forces (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension Scheme) Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) Veterans Welfare Service (VWS)

Veterans UK works in partnership with the wider MOD, other Government departments and other organisations who provide support and advice to the Veterans community. The Veterans Today blog includes a range of stories from Veterans UK, their partners and stakeholders and from veterans themselves on the programmes, initiatives and support available to Serving Personnel and the veterans community. Here are the earliest Veterans Today blog posts. •

Launch of the Veterans Today blog

•

Veterans UK working together with Millie Award winners Pilgrim Bandits

•

Eyes and ears that give a voice to Veterans

•

Liverpool FC Foundation Military Veterans Programme - Barracks To Bootroom

The leaflets available are: A guide to Veterans Services, A guide to the Joint Compassionate and Casualty Centre, A guide to the Ministry of Defence Medal Oﬃce and A guide to the Veterans Welfare Service.

Forces Media Academy Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) has been awarded a grant of £1.8 million over three years to set up and run a Forces Media Academy. It will offer digital and broadcast media skills to both service leavers and veterans. The academy will be based at SSVC's headquarters at Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire and offer 15 places a year starting in autumn 2017. The course, to be taught by academic professionals, will lead to a level HNC qualification preparing candidates for roles in the UK's dynamic media and digital economy. All candidates will be offered work experience within SSVC, which runs a range of TV, digital, technology and radio services for British Forces and their families.

Jon Parkin, former Head of Veterans UK launched the Veterans Today blog with its inaugural post on 29 March 2016. To follow the Veterans Today blog posts see Veterans UK held on GOV.UK

Working in Partnership

Remembrance Defence Business Services and Veterans UK marked Armistice Day by observing a two minute silence. Remembrance services were held to honour those who gave their lives for peace and freedom in the two World Wars of the last century as well as those involved in the many other conflicts worldwide, including those still fighting today.

Working in Partnership

Co-locations providing ‘Pop-In’ support

The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) is part of Veterans UK, the MOD’s support organisation for service personnel, veterans and their families. VWS caseworkers oﬀer one-to-one professional help and guidance by telephone, or if needed, during a home visit. The VWS are continually aiming to increase their support and accessibility to Veterans and in response to the Ashcroft Report and the changing needs of Veterans, VWS are working with third sector charitable partners to establish co-locations across the UK. They are pleased to announce the completion of three co-locations – In Andover with Defence Medical Welfare Services, at Leuchars Barracks with the Army and in Newcastle-UponTyne with The Royal British Legion (TRBL). Being co-located with both serving communities and prominent Veterans charities allows VWS to oﬀer an increased service provision to those in need. The colocation within Newcastle has allowed VWS to run regular surgeries at the newly established Newcastle TRBL pop-in centre. This has enabled VWS Welfare Manager Alan Heron to increase the level of support available and the number of Veterans he is able to assist.

Alan said, “This continued collaborative working relationship between TRBL and VWS aims to ensure that every Veteran receives support tailored to their individual needs and I’ve seen first-hand how beneficial this can be.”

After the change of RAF Leuchars to Leuchars Barracks, Brian Finch, the VWS Regional Welfare Manager, identified an opportunity to increase the VWS footprint within Scotland and the support made available to both those serving and the large Veteran community within the area. Working alongside the unit welfare staﬃng and HIVE supporting agencies would increase the knowledge and the opportunities available for those who required VWS assistance. Co-location with Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) at their Andover HQ has allowed VWS to cement their working relationships. By being placed in such a strategic location with nearby Army HQ, Tidworth Garrison and a short drive to Regional Command in Aldershot have allowed VWS to increase awareness and understanding of their role. By being co-located with DMWS it will lead to greater appreciation of each other’s strengths and allow for greater collaborative working for those in need. DMWS has a UK footprint as well as VWS does and they continue to examine future opportunities to work together. The VWS is committed to enhancing the quality of life for veterans and beneficiaries of Veterans UK pensions and compensation schemes, and all their dependants. It also provides support to enable the seamless transition from service to civilian life, assist bereaved families or respond to life events that present welfare needs. For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/veteranswelfare-service If you are supporting a veteran and need further advice, the VWS may be able to help. To locate the nearest centre call our Veterans UK helpline on 0808 1914 2 18. 7

Family Matters

Get on the road to being pension ready Veterans UK is an MOD support organisation dedicated to serving personnel, veterans and their families. We administer the various Armed Forces Pension Schemes on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Whether you’re a new recruit or starting to consider the road ahead to Civvy Street, now is the time to begin thinking about your Pension. After all, what have you got to lose? Well, maybe more than you think! We pay around £4.3billion in pensions every year and some of this could be yours.

There are lots of things you can do to help us to help you get pension ready. Here are some tools to help:

Benefit Information Statement (BIS)

Pension Forecast

Armed Forces Pensions Scheme (AFPS) Calculato or

WE will provide a Benefit Information Statement (BIS) each year, around your birthday,, giving you a snapshot of what pensions and benefits you have already earned to date.

WE can provide one free pension forecast upon request each year based on your info ormation held on JPA.

We have provided a free Armed Forces Pension Calculator that is available on GOV.UK.

YOU need to check your JPA record fo or accuracy and keep your JPA details up to date whenever you have a change of circumstances. This will help us giv i e you an accurate fo orecast.

YOU can use this as many times as you want to find out how any potential change in your circumst s ances may affect your u pension.

YOU need to check your Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) record fo or accuracy and keep your JPA details up to date whenever you have a change of circumstances. The BIS can then help you make decisions about you and your family’s future aftter service.

Help us help you provide fo for you and your faamily’s future financial security by mak a ing sure your pay and your pension is paid at the right amount, at the right time. We want to pay you the pension you’ve earned, but we can’t do this unless you apply for it. So keep in touch and help us help yo ou u get your Armed Forces Pension right.

Family Matters

You’ve earned it - you apply for it - we’ll pay it! just starting out?

It’s never too early to start thinking about your pension. Help us help you get your pension right by keeping JPA up to date as you navigate through your service career. Keep a look out for your BIS that you will receive every year around the month of your birthday. You’ve earned it, you apply for it, we’ll pay it.

well underway?

Your pension fo orms part of yours and your nearly family ’s financial security (Part of the Armed fo orces Off ffe er.) Your pension fo orecast can help you to secure a mortgage or other financial services. Help us help you get your pension right by keeping all your pension paperwork in a safe e place and by telling us if anything changes. You’ve earned it, you apply for it, we’ll pay it.

there?

£320m Wherever you are in your service career, a change in your circumstances can aff ffe ect your pension. Accurate pension info ormation and fo orecasts are crucial to accessing financial services both during and after your service. Help us help you get your pension right by checking to ensure the details on your pension forecast are up to date. It’s important that any details that are incorrect are put right. You’ve earned it, you apply for it, we’ll pay it.

Are you a veteran? Remember to keep us already on updated with any change of circumstances Civvy Street? and don’t forget to apply fo or your pension when it’s time. In the meantime you can request one free pension forecast per year. Search GOV.UK for Form 14. Help us help you get your pension right by keeping your information up to date and applying for your Armed Forces pension at the right time. You’ve earned it, you apply l for it, we’ll pay it.

Whether you’re currently serving or you’re a veteran, any changes in your circumstances can have an impact on your pension. So make sure that if you’re in-Service, you update JPA, and if you’re a Veteran, contact the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC) to update us on 0800 085 3600. 9

Health & Wellbeing

Big White Wall: Adjusting For the Future Adjustment is a key theme in the veteran vocabulary. Adjusting to Civvy Street can be a traumatic experience in itself: re-familiarising to family life, managing time, finding employment and missing comrades can all play havoc with emotions as well as a sense of purpose. The Ministry of Defence published its annual report on mental health in June 2016, and noted that Adjustment Disorders were the most prevalent mental disorder among UK Armed Forces personnel in 2015/16, accounting for around 35 per cent of all mental disorders in the Armed Forces. At Big White Wall, and with the support of the Ministry of Defence and Help for Heroes, a free service is provided that has proven to be of huge benefit to the mental health of the Armed Forces community. Not only do the serving personnel gain from the service, but so do the reservists, veterans and family members aged 16 and above. What makes Big White Wall so important to our Armed Forces members is the focus on anonymity and 24/7 online access to peer support. Being anonymous means you can say exactly what you feel, without fear of stigma. If you find it diﬃcult expressing your feelings in words, you can create an artwork on a ‘brick’ which can be shared with the community. Safety is another aspect that members appreciate, as the peer community is always monitored by fully accredited counsellors called ‘Wall Guides’. In fact, 56 per cent of Armed Forces members reported that they had shared an issue or feelings on Big White Wall for the first time.

A member of Big White Wall and an Army veteran, who had served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the Gulf, has stated how he had found adjustment to civilian life so diﬃcult after 14 years’ service:

“I didn't realise I had a problem at all when I first came out of the Army, but I became socially withdrawn and systematically pushed people away. It put a massive strain on my marriage and we split several times.” This member eventually found help through a combination of talking with his GP, and his local NHS Healthy Minds when it was suggested he join Big White Wall to assist with his therapy. He continues, “I truly believe without this help and understanding I probably would've walked away from treatment again. The Wall along with my therapist helped me to look at myself in the way I needed to, so I could be honest with myself and my therapist. I may not be here today if it wasn't for Big White Wall.” While PTSD takes up most of the headlines in the media when it comes to veterans’ mental healthcare, at Big White Wall there is no hierarchy. Research shows that the majority of veterans actually suﬀer from disorders like anxiety, stress and depression, and with veterans making up 42 per cent of our members coming from the Armed Forces, Big White Wall has a proven track record in helping with that all-important theme of adjustment.

“The Wall along with my therapist helped me to look at myself in the way I needed to, so I could be honest with myself and my therapist.” “I may not be here today if it wasn't for Big White Wall.”

Working in Partnership Health & Wellbeing

Listening - Talking - Helping

The Aged Veterans Counselling service is a nationwide project that provides free counselling to UK Armed Forces veterans born before 1 January 1950. The service is also available to their carers and relatives. It can help with a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, loneliness, bereavement or anything that is causing a sense of isolation, loss or social exclusion. Launched in June 2016, the project has been funded by the MOD’s Aged Veterans Fund and has been established by a consortium of military welfare charities under the direction of Blind Veterans UK. The service is administered by a professional counselling and employee assistance organisation, Wellbeing Solutions Management (WSM), in partnership with Doctorcall, a healthcare provider. The Aged Veterans Counselling service can help with a variety of issues; from oﬀering a friendly chat to working through a more complex problem. They can help with: •

•

Loneliness Many of us can feel lonely from time to time. Family may live a long way away, and old friends may have passed away. Talking about it can help a person feel much better. Depression Depression can aﬀect anyone at anytime. Counselling can help someone overcome depression and can help with coping strategies for a person that is feeling down. Bereavement Coping with the loss of loved ones and close friends is never easy. Grieving is normal, but sometimes it can take a long time to move on. Counselling can help a

person move beyond the sense of emptiness after losing someone close. •

Anxiety Feeling scared, unsure and nervous are all common problems from time to time. Counselling can help with gaining self-confidence and enabling a person to face their anxieties head on.

•

Relationships Relationships need to be maintenance and nurtured. Counselling can help to improve relationships with partners, colleagues, family and friends.

How does it work? You can apply for free counselling support by visiting the Aged Veterans Counselling website or by calling 0300 0120 247. Alternatively, if you’re a member of veterans’ charity, you can contact their welfare team and ask them to apply for counselling on your behalf. Once your application has been received, you will be contacted to make arrangements for your counselling. If you find it hard to travel, a counsellor can visit you in your own home. Alternatively, you can see a counsellor at a location close to where you live. Following your first counselling session, you will then normally be oﬀered a course of five additional counselling sessions, usually at regular times each week to suit you. To find out more about the counselling service, please contact: Tel: Email: Web:

0300 0120 247 (Intl: + 44 (0) 20 7708 5000) enquiries@agedveteranscounselling.org.uk www.agedveteranscounselling.org.uk 11

for all

SERVING PERSONNEL

LIVING WORKING North Wales and

VETERANS

and

OVER 60 EXHIBITORS INCLUDING:-

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AND COMMERCE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT HEALTH HOUSING WELFARE

Thursday 9 February 2017 Glyndwr University Sports Hall, Wrexham 1200 - 1400 hrs

FREE FAMILIES WELCOME

ENTRY

Further information and register at: 160X-Transition-GroupMailbox@mod.uk

Sign up to Veterans World email alerts Veterans World is now a fully digital magazine issued 8 times a year. Make sure you never miss updates from Veterans World by signing up for our free email alerts when a new edition is published. Just send your name, the organisation you work for (if relevant) and email address to Veterans-UK-veteransworld@mod.uk

Veterans World now includes regular features on:

Accomodation & Housing

special housing and accommodation projects for veterans

Healthcare

special healthcare programmes for veterans from the NHS, charities and other providers

Working in Partnership

sharing best practice to better support our veterans community

Education, Training and Employment

leaving the forces and helping veterans find work and improve their skills

Family Matters

support for families including those bereaved by service